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Culture & Society

Burkina Faso ratified all regional and international conventions on gender equality, adopted a national gender policy in 2009, established a dedicated ministry for the promotion of women and gender issues and developed a large number of action plans and gender programmes. However, gender inequalities therefore persist and national averages often mask strong regional disparities. Read on

This Human Rights Watch publication draws attention to the conditions of lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender people (LGBT) in Ghana. It offers a series of recommendations to public authorities to adopt measures aimed at raising public awareness of the harm of homophobia that prevails in the country and the need to combat it. Read on

This issue of the Grain de Sel magazine published by Inter-réseaux, is part of a series of reflections on pastoralism in West Africa, which started in 2015. It underlines the linkages between pastoralism in the Sahel and coastal countries, which have often been neglected in development strategies. Read on

A new book by Deogratias Niyonkuru from Burundi, offers a large number of ideas and food for thought about the condition of African smallholder farmers. One key message: Farmers are not sufficiently involved in the decision-making processes that concern their future. The book will be presented at a GRIP meeting on 12 January in Brussels. Read on

In this blog post published by IRIN, editor Obi Anyadike draws attention to the many challenges faced by African cities. three key findings: 1) African cities are crowded, “but not economically dense.” 2) African cities are disconnected. 3) African cities are costly, both for residents and businesses. The rapid urban growth is outpacing policy reforms. It is time for urgent reforms in African cities. Read on

UNICEF has published a statistical report on child marriage in West and Central Africa. As a previous Maps & Facts issue has shown, the region remains one of the most impacted by early marriage, which is one of the practices that the sustainable development goals seek to eradicate. Seven West African countries rank among the top 20 countries in the world with the highest rate of child marriage. Read on

For two years, the UNDP Regional Office for Africa conducted a study to understand why some individuals rally behind major extremist groups in Africa. Based on hundreds of interviews with activists from these movements, the results of this study have been published in a report entitled, “Journey to extremism in Africa: Drivers, incentives and the tipping point for recruitment.” Read on

Aïd-El-Kébir, the Muslim sacrifice feast also known as “Tabaski,” was celebrated on 1 September across West Africa, 69 days after the end of Ramadan. It is one of the most important religious days on the Muslim calendar and represents a busy and expensive time for families. Read on

In its contribution to the OECD Yearbook, the Sahel and West Africa Club Secretariat recalls that Nigeria’s food crisis requires structural responses to restore trust and build an inclusive, resilient society throughout the country. The Nigerian crisis reflects the importance of inclusion. What started as a localised Nigerian crisis quickly grew into one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. Beyond the immediate humanitarian emergency, the Nigerian crisis requires three long-term response strategies. Read on

Conakry has become the “World Book Capital” for a year. The Guinean capital is the first city in francophone Africa to obtain this status, which is awarded annually by UNESCO, and is the third African city to be named after Alexandria in 2002 and Port Harcourt, Nigeria in 2014. Through the programme, Guinea will organise monthly cultural events aimed at highlighting the country’s authors and culture. Read on